Avoid the Need for Water Damage Repair in Montana by Keeping Temperatures Higher in Your Home This Winter

Avoid the Need for Water Damage Repair in Montana by Keeping Temperatures Higher in Your Home This Winter

Fall has just begun and the cold of winter is already on its way, sending chilly air and the threat of snow across the country. Many homeowners pack up and leave during winter, heading somewhere warm for extended periods of time. We call these people “snowbirds,” and we have some advice for them!

Closing up your home for winter, whether it’s for a few months or only a few weeks, can be hazardous due to cold temperatures and bursting pipes. Keeping your temperature too low while you’re away can potentially lead to flooding and costly water damage repair in Montana. If you’re a snowbird and are tempted to turn your heat down to save energy costs, don’t do it; you should keep your home set to 65 degrees Fahrenheit or higher to avoid building and water damage.

The problem with lowering your home’s temperature

You may be tempted to lower the temperature in your home by a lot to save money while you’re away on vacation. While this is fair, and you should lower your heat setting, it’s recommended that you not lower it past 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Setting the temperature too low can cause both water and structural damage to your home. Even if you turn off your water valves, water will still stay in your pipes and has the potential to freeze when temperatures drop outside. Frozen pipes can easily lead to burst pipes, which lead to lots of water damage and a flooded home. The money you’ll save by lowering your thermostat will be much less than the cost of water damage repair in Montana!

Additionally, the structural components of your building cannot endure the extreme stress of the cold all winter long. By decreasing the heat in the building, you make it more susceptible to shrinking, cracking and a decreased lifespan for your building as a whole.

Why lower temperatures cause building problems

You might be wondering how lowering the temperature by even a few degrees can be so catastrophic for your home. But trust us, it can be!

Your home is probably used to being heated at 70 to 72 degrees. For every 10-degree increase in temperature, the stored heat energy in your home increases by 50 percent. When sudden cold hits, the building does not have time to heat up to resist the removal of heat, so you have to count on the heat stored in cement and other building materials. The survival rate at 65 degrees and higher is 10 times better than buildings kept at 55 degrees.

When the building does not have enough stored heat, the building materials suffer under the stress of cold. Beams, drywall and plumbing components can shrink and crack, causing severe damage and reducing the potential longevity of your home.

Call us if you need water damage repair in Montana!

If you have home water damage, call Allied 24/7 Property Restoration. We are your local experts in water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold and other general disaster cleanup! In addition to restoring your property, our team offers realistic solutions and preventative steps to help you avoid disasters affecting your home or business again. We have years of experience in the area, so you can always rest assured that we’re the trusted source for property restoration. If you need us, call us today!